Writers’ groups cultivate talent and community throughout Tipperary

Ireland is famous for a thriving literary scene and throughout the Premier talent continues to develop thanks to the work of writing groups.

These groups help to establish a booming creative community in each town, allowing writers to network and hone in on their craft.

While the presence of such groups feels firmly established, when former lecturer Margaret O’Brien first looked for a place to meet other writers in her native Carrick-on-Suir, there was nothing there.

“It was almost like a social justice issue for me,” said Margaret. “There is plenty of talent, but they don’t often get the opportunity to express it, to find a home for it or to find a receptive community.”

“A lot of things happen in cities and they are quite well resourced, but when you are living at a distance from any of that you can be quite isolated, not encouraged or not feel part of any writing community.”

This problem spurred Margaret to tackle this issue herself through establishing Writing Changes Lives, an initiative that hosts creative writing workshops, including Poetry Plus that takes place monthly in Brewery Lane Theatre.

Over the years, the group has had frequent collaborations with Linda Fahy’s Tudor Artisan Hub and also hosts a successful annual writers weekend where writers of national and international standing descend upon Carrick.

“A lot of things have blown up over the years I think it is because I made the decision all those years ago to dig where I stand, rather than chasing around, I will stay here and do it.”

The ethos for the writers groups is based on the philosophy of Pat Schneider, a writer Margaret discovered when specialising in adult literacy in WIT.

One of the core philosophies of Schneider’s approach is that writing is an art form that belongs to all people, but it must be made accessible as there are barriers.

Margaret joined Pat Schneider’s organisation, Amherst Writers and Artists (AWA) to train in breaking down these obstacles.

The AWA method includes two practices Margaret incorporates into her writing groups, with one being that everything read aloud in the workshop is treated as fiction to minimize personal vulnerability of the writer.

Another approach is that the workshop facilitator writes and invites responses so everyone in the group is treated equally.

This approach creates an honest and safe environment for writers alongside inviting the opportunity to learn from each other.

“A lot of people have internalised negative opinions on their potential from school and they carry that. I want to break those barriers down as much as possible,” explained Margaret.

The process of meeting in a group allows writers to gain confidence. While some can be hesitant on first arrival as they may have never read their work in public before, members soon gain a wealth of experience and friendship.

One individual particularly inspired by this approach to writing was Mary Alice O’Connor, who founded the Tipperary Excel writers group after attending a talk given by Margaret in 2008.

Now two groups, the Excel’s workshop facilitates writers from Cashel, Cahir and Tipperary and is partnered with the Tipperary Education and Training Board.

In their fortnightly meetings, the writers discuss their work that included everything from poetry, prose and plays.
The group has had three facilitators since its foundation with Sheila Quealey, Trish McHale and current tutor James Whelan all offering their expertise.

Since establishing, the group has published two books, hosted an exhibition of their work and participated in numerous spoken word collaborations with Tipperary Mid-West Radio.

“I think the literary arts bring a new kind of thinking,” said Mary Alice.

“It brings friendship, companionship and personal development. For anyone who has an interest in writing it’s wonderful.”
Like Poetry Plus, the Excel Writers Group took on new forms of projects during the pandemic and maintained the ethos of creative spirit even when the meetings had to move online.

In Clonmel, like-minded writers also wanted to develop a literary community of their own in the town.

As a fellow member of AMA, Jenny Cox, founder of Content by Cox was also inspired by the teaching philosophies of Pat Schneider.

Jenny was involved in the Applefest Poetry Trail, a project which saw local poets display their work around the town. When the Applefest was first established, Tipperary writer Eileen Acheson hosted a spoken word evening.

Jenny came onboard with the festival the following year and developed it into a trail.

“We wanted to give the festival a presence in the town and brighten up the public realm. It’s interesting to see and follow through the trial and read the pieces,” said Jenny.

“It was really exciting for the poets, as they were thrilled to see their poems printed.”

This interactive experience made the world of poetry more accessible and attracted new writers who may have been daunted by traditional literary events.

Following the success of the poetry events hosted by the Applefest, Jenny was also a founding member of The Wild Scribes, a group of poets who meet to discuss their work.

Jenny stresses how beneficial this collaborative approach to writing can be to develop a writer’s confidence.

“I think the most important thing is encouragement, having that kind of support. It is scary, writing something and putting it out there especially poetry because it is usually something that is very emotive or connected to you,” said Jenny.

“Having a group I think is really important as you’re going to get support and constructive critique.”

Being part of a writing group also helps develop the literary community in an area and alerts writers to projects going on, such as events hosted by The Junction Festival.

The benefits of joining the group are endless, and Jenny believes that anybody interested in writing should consider putting pen to paper and joining one of the many groups in Tipperary.

Her advice for writers is to use the terrific resources in place and take advantage of the talented peers in the county.
“Don’t be afraid to do it. Be honest, be yourself and try to stick to your own voice,” said Jenny.

“Tipperary is rich with really, really talented writers. We are so lucky.”